Campbell students dress as stars in test prep

Grants Lick Elementary School fourth-grader Jackson Besecker dances at the front of a line of students to the Pharrell Williams song “(Because I’m) Happy” as students strut onto a red carpet for an awards ceremony.(Photo: Chris Mayhew/The Community Recorder)Buy Photo

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Grants Lick Elementary School students dress as red carpet stars each year before state testing.

Livvy Stubenrauch, the voice of Young Anna in the Disney movie “Frozen,” handed out student awards.

Campbell County Schools students are taking state tests as the year ends, and in preparation Grants Lick Elementary School let students show their star power with a red carpet awards ceremony.

“We do it to celebrate the students’ success and as a motivation for testing,” said Principal Amity Kukla.

Students are asked to dress up as if they were going to walk a red carpet, Kukla said.

“We say dress like the stars that you are,” she said.

Students in grades 3-5 received awards May 27 at Grants Lick for being top performers in math, reading, social studies, science, writing and for “unbeatable behavior.”

The school brought in some additional star power by having Livvy Stubenrauch, 9, the voice of Young Anna from Disney’s movie “Frozen,” hand out the awards. Stubenrauch, of Harrison, Ohio, stepped onto a stage in the school gym and told students she wished them luck and then read a popular line she said as Young Anna.

“Do you want to build a snowman,” Stubenrauch asked, to a cheer from the Grants Lick students.

After the awards, Kukla asked students to call out things they needed to do or think about when taking tests.

“Don’t doubt yourself,” said Reagan Parker, a fifth-grader.

Wearing a a floor-length dress, Parker said she liked the idea of getting dressed up.

“I just think this is good because it builds our confidence and helps us prepare to test and makes us want to do it,” she said.

Parker said she was “maybe a little nervous” about taking the tests.

“But my teacher says it’s OK to be nervous, because that lets you know that you care,” Parker said.